HARTFORD, Conn. — A coalition of 17 states, including four in New England, has urged the New York Court of Appeals to reject an argument by Donald Trump that the states say could weaken attorneys general's ability to pursue fraud cases, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong's office said Friday.

The states joined a friend-of-the-court brief in the civil fraud case New York brought against Trump and his co-defendants, who were accused of inflating the values of assets to get better terms on loans and insurance rates, according to Tong's office.

Trump and his co-defendants argue that New York should not have brought the case because the banks and insurance companies involved were sophisticated financial institutions that did not raise concerns about being defrauded, the office said. The coalition's brief warns that accepting that argument could weaken the ability of attorneys general across the country to enforce fraud laws and protect the public.

Tong's office said Connecticut law allows the attorney general to act against fraudulent and deceptive business practices even when those directly involved do not file complaints.

Along with Connecticut, the brief was joined by the attorneys general of Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont, as well as Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia and Washington.

This brief was drafted by AI from a public agency or political press release and published by The New England Signal. Why we use AI for stories like this one.